Researchers suggest requiring pre‑approval for gambling ads in the Netherlands due to compliance issues

(AsiaGameHub) –   Land-based licensees were found to have a much higher rate of non-compliance than igaming licence holders.

The Netherlands – A new academic study has raised fresh concerns about compliance with Dutch gambling advertising rules on Meta-owned social media platforms. The research conducted by the City University of Hong Kong and the University of Bristol revealed that a significant number of gambling advertisements on Facebook and Instagram may have violated age-targeting restrictions.

The study examined 277 paid adverts from licensed Dutch gambling operators published on Facebook and Instagram between 2024 and early 2025. Researchers utilized the Ad Library introduced under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates advertisers to disclose age ranges and estimated reach, allowing them to evaluate whether campaigns complied with Dutch regulations.

The findings indicated that 31 adverts, approximately 11.2 per cent of those reviewed, targeted users aged 18 to 23—a group explicitly protected under Dutch law. Notably, online gaming licence holders were found to be the most compliant, with only 7.3 per cent of their adverts breaching the rules. In contrast, offline licence holders exhibited a much higher rate of non-compliance, with nearly 30 per cent of their campaigns violating restrictions.

This includes the major legacy state-controlled operator Holland Casino, which was found to have run adverts including under-24s in the targeting settings. One campaign reportedly reached more than 21,000 Dutch users aged 18–24, with researchers estimating that over 15 per cent of the ad’s audience fell within this prohibited age group.

Although the legal age of gambling in the Netherlands remains 18, the country’s 2013 Decree on Gambling Recruitment, Advertising and Addiction Prevention prohibits operators from targeting adverts at individuals under 24 years old. Since July 2023, stricter regulations have banned all “untargeted” gambling advertisements and require operators to ensure that at least 95 per cent of their ad audience is aged 24 or older.

Researchers identified several factors contributing to these regulatory breaches, including reliance on Meta’s automated Advantage+ optimisation tool, which sets the default starting target age to 18 unless manually adjusted. They also highlighted human error in compliance checks and limitations in Meta’s reporting system. Due to Meta’s use of broad age brackets such as 18–24, advertisers find it difficult to confirm adherence to the requirement to exclude specifically those aged 18–23.

Meta has faced criticism in multiple jurisdictions for allegedly insufficient efforts to prevent unlicensed gambling advertisements. However, in this case, the breaches were generally not attributable to the tech company, as the advertisers held valid Netherlands licenses. Still, the report suggests that Meta could take further steps to prevent such violations.

The study recommended that Meta provide reach data in single-year increments. It also proposed that the platform apply country-specific legal age minimums by default.

Meanwhile, the researchers urge the Dutch gambling regulator KSA to clarify to land-based gambling licensees that they must comply with the same advertising restrictions as online operators when promoting their services digitally. More significantly, the report advocates for stricter enforcement measures, including the introduction of pre-authorisation for gambling advertisements.

A ban on gambling sponsorship in Dutch sports came into effect last year. Since then, calls have grown for a complete prohibition of gambling advertising across the country.